media

Casinos are well known for their extensive buffets. Pechanga Resort & Casino just stepped it up another notch with their Lobster & Seafood Extravaganza on Thursday nights. The main draw is the one-and-one-quarter pound whole Maine lobster done in an East Coast lobster bake style with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. The limit is ONE at a time, but once you finish, you can grab yourself another!

Mardi Gras is celebrated in many ways, from living it up with the true New Orleans experience, partying with friends locally, or just partaking in good 'ol Lousiana style food! Our preferred way is the last...

San Diego Restaurant Week starts this Sunday on January 21 and continues until January 28, 2018. We're always excited to partner with local establishments such as SoleLuna Cafe. This Italian restaurant is located in downtown San Diego and has been open since 2006! Their offering is a 3 course dinner for $20 with optional $15 wine pairing. There are also vegetarian and gluten free options available.

We were greeted by the owner Michele, who had been manager for several years before becoming the owner. Michele and our server Francesco chatted with us throughout the evening and made sure to keep the flow of food going smoothly. Both are originally from Italy, proudly bringing a bit of their home into this neighborhood. After ordering, complementary bread with bottles of olive oil and balsamic were set on our table.

Tajima has been expanding its business over the last few years and now has five locations in San Diego plus two more in Long Beach and Tijuana. The newest SD locations have all been ramen bars so I was thrilled to include my ramen loving partner Dennis for a media invitation! We headed to their East Village location which I had walked past during my Comic Con adventure. After arriving, our choice of seating was a cozy corner booth near the windows, where we reviewed three sections of the menu: ramen, appetizer and bowl.

Fishmonger's Market recently opened in Mission Hills and brings in the dedicated Frank Terzoliis as THE fishmonger to see. Frank has a load of credentials which includes heading one of the top ten fish distributions, so don't expect anything less than the freshest, high quality seafood from this place. We eagarly listened to his words, wisdom from lessons learned as well as struggles he overcame during his rise through this industry. He's one amazing man to get to know so make sure to say hi if you stop in!

The Smoking Gun is one of the newest bars in downtown San Diego, complete with a retro vibe and comfort food headed by powerhouse chef Kevin Templeton. We were invited to check out the new southern menu and dropped by to see what new direction this would take the location. I still remembered items like alcoholic slushies from Wet Willie's and asian fusion from Blush East+West Kitchen, the predecessors.

Once October rolled around, our minds had already drifted toward the annual Taste of North Park event. Due to travel and other things, we had not attended since 2014 (or 2015 if you count the mini taste) but this year was finally GAME ON. The event was held Saturday October 15, 2017 between 11-3am and we had a ticket that included beer and food ($45). There were also food only ($35) or beer only ($15) options when purchasing in advance. This new separation was a nice change especially since certain friends of mine admitted they only came for the beer! With ticket in hand, we walked between the various businesses in search of the best samples. Check out the highlights below!

It's a long and winding road to Nick and G's but this new spot in Rancho Santa Fe is a destination to add to your foodie list. The restaurant serves Mediterranean and Italian food and is located on the quiet street of Paseo Delicias. Dennis mentioned that he and his friends have biked through this area but had never eaten in this mellow neighborhood. Time to change that!

Several of the staff, including our main waiter Johnny, recommended the Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts.

The second annual Burgers and Beer event by San Diego Reader was held in early September. I brought a friend last year and this time Dennis joined me at Golden Hill Park. I was thrilled with the addition of many beer and drink vendors rather than the limited 4-item beer booth the previous year. It finally felt like the paradise that "burgers and beer" should be! Below are some highlights and pictures from our experience at this year's event!

If you're a fan of tacos, then Tacotopia is a MUST! San Diego Reader holds two events each year, one at Golden Hill in May and one at the Del Mar Racetrack in September. We missed the first event due to our Europe vacation but did have a blast taco tasting in 2016. Below are some highlights and pictures from this year's event!